The True Knot from 'Doctor Sleep'

"We are the True Knot,” they responded. “What is tied may never be untied."

 

 

 

 

 

The True knot



The True Knot are a cabal/tribe of psychic vampires who move throughout the country (and have done so for centuries) seeking psychically enhanced children whose abilities and powers have manifested. The True Knot uses its seekers to discover a child with such power and move to acquire the child, draining their psychic energy or ’steam’ from the victim while torturing them to increase the steam output. The True Knot members feed on this energy, enhancing their abilities, restoring their youth, and allowing them a kind of immortality. The True Knot has the following abilities/attributes:

Psychic Vampirism: The True Knot are an old clan of psychic vampires who have existed in the United States before the Revolutionary War and have remained active. By draining steam from victims who are being tortured or from great scenes of disaster, and by doing so restore their vitality, youth, and vigor. The True Knot members do not age or are harmed in traditional ways, but instead rely on their supply of steam either through finding sources or the bottled steam they’ve collected from victims over the years. True Knot members have three sets of FASE: Based on their current or ‘normal’ levels of ability, the reduced levels in which they have not taken steam, and their upper levels in which they take great quantities of steam. True Knot members begin to age to their true ages after going 2 weeks without Steam, becoming more susceptible to normal infirmities and conditions. By week 3, the True Knot members suffer penalties to the FASE and Health, and by one month they must begin to make daily Psyche and Endurance FEATS to remain active. The benefits for being a member of the True Knot is as follows:

• Increased FASE and P: A member of the True Knot which has fed gains +1cs - +2cs to their FASE while they are fed, maximum of Rm (30) for Fighting and Agility, Maximum of Ex (20) for Strength, Maximum Am (50) for Endurance, and a bonus to their Psyche of +1cs.
• Immortality*: When a person is brought into the True Knot, they are turned into a member of the Knot in an elaborate ritual in which they may not survive. Should the new member survive, they will remain as youthful as they were when they were first embraced by the True Knot, remaining healthy and with vigor at that point as long as a supply of steam is provided. The immortality is not true immortality as members of the True Knot are still susceptible to certain common diseases (such as measles) which can kill them if not treated. Terrible wounds are healed through steam, and so long as a supply is available, the members of the True Knot can survive for centuries.
• Enhanced psychic abilities: Members of the True Knot are themselves gifted usually with some form of psychic power – such as psionic detection, Mental Invisibility, or the like. These abilities are further enhanced on their embrace by the True Knot, increasing the ranks by at least +1cs. Rose the Hat’s abilities were formidable before her time with the Knot and only increased with her becoming a member.
• Group Connection: Members of the True Knot are connected with one another psychically, able to read each other’s surface thoughts and situations, as well as determine when a member has met with danger or deadly incidents up to half a continent away. The connection between the True knot is stronger with those who have abilities that are more dedicated to psionic detection, and Rose that Hat’s ability is great enough to determine the status of the members of the True Knot directly with her or feel the destruction of members and be able to identify them with certainty and clarity (As she did with Crow Daddy). This connection is considered Mn (75) for the purposes of sensing members and communication but only for True Knot members.
• Spirit Storage: Through undefined means, the True Knot can draw steamfrom a victim and store it in pressurized storage tanks which are kept with Rose the Hat. One compressed tank can hold the steam of one individual, and the True Knot believes they have up to 30 tanks at any one time to get them through ‘the lean times.

In Plain Sight: The True Knot moves in plain sight as caravans of campers and RV travelers, as unobtrusive as possible. The True Knot has mastered the ability not to stand out, and to spot the members or their activities takes incredible effort. Combined with their resources, the True Knot owns several campgrounds across the US and utilize routes established to avoid detection. Even when the suggestion may be made that perhaps something is amiss, the True Knot will only be vaguely remembered. This isn’t necessarily a true power, but it is incredible creepy how easily they can move through society, and any check trying to detect them or perceive their activities would require a Rm (30) intensity FEAT.

Resources: Although the True Knot appears as not having much money individually, they actually possess collectively Mn (75) resources, having enough money, property, and legal protection to provide them with the necessary covers and ability to afford things without being questioned. In addition, The True Knot’s resource go back centuries and not just in money – they own many businesses, services, and corporations which have a broad range of things. The True Knot can with enough time procure military grade equipment, cutting edge technology, and even drugs and chemicals not available in the common market simply by moving a few resources and setting up necessary dead-drops. The True Knot is so adept at hiding their activities and resources that it is very doubtful even they are aware of how much they really have. The True Knot owns countless properties throughout the continental US, Canada, and Mexico (including the remnants of the Overlook Hotel).

Contacts:
The True Knot has a front man who usually handles all connections to the normal world (Or ‘Rubes’ as they refer to anyone not in the True Knot).
Limitations:
Despite their formidable nature, the True Knot has several key limitations:

• Dying and Death: The True Knot is not truly immortal, and can die either through diseases they may not have been immunized against when not a member of the not or through damage. Dying for a member of the True Knot is incredibly painful, as they begin to ‘cycle’ between fading away and remaining cohesive. When a member of the True Knot suffers a kill result or suffers a loss of Health to 0, they not only begin the dying process but they cannot stabilize without steam and suffer an additional -1cs Endurance Loss each round. While they are in the dying process, they will begin to fade out of existence (leaving their clothing and items but seemingly to just ‘compress’ into nothingness. The True Knot member must make a Psyche FEAT at -2cs to remain conscious during the event or immediately suffer another loss of one Endurance Rank. While cycling, the True Knot member is incapable of physical action but can speak or react. Cycling is a painful action and is one of the few things that the members of the True Knot fear.
• Absolute Leadership: Rose the Hat rules the True Knot and ultimately controls the True Knot’s power, access to steam, and resources. Those who leave the Knot under Rose the Hat’s leadership are considered ‘cut off’ and probably wouldn’t survive long without the ability to locate additional steam. In addition, Rose’s obsessions drive the focus of the True Knot, which can be on occasion incredibly self-destructive.
• Vulnerability to Diseases: The True Knot is incredibly susceptible to diseases like measles, which gains a +2cs to infect and debilitate members of the Knot. As many members existed prior to vaccinations, they would be extraordinarily at risk, especially if depleted by lack of steam.
• Secrecy: The True Knot value secrecy above all things and would go to great lengths to both avoid detection and revelation. The True Knot is not above using every method at their disposal to silence someone who knows anything about them, but prefer to handle such things quietly.
• Attracted to Tragedy: The True Knot seems to be attracted to tragedy or upcoming tragic events. Partially due to the need for steam, and partially due to perhaps connection to areas drenched in violence. The True Knot is always present in the US at scenes where disasters happen.

 

Rose the Hat from 'Doctor Sleep'

 Stay away from the woman in the hat. She's the Queen Bitch of Castle Hell.

 

Rose the Hat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F: Ex (20)
A: Ex (20)
S: Gd (10)
E: Am (50)
R: Gd (10)
I: Rm (30)
P: Am (50)

Health: 100
Karma: 90
Resources: Mn (75)
Popularity: 0*

Talents:
Rose the Hat has displayed the following skills:
Mystic Origin*
Leadership*
Human Nature
Knowledge: The True Knot
Charm
Driving
Firearms (alluded to)
Knives and sharp weapons (alluded to)
Knowledge: Continental US Locations
Knowledge: Multi-lingual


Powers:
True Knot Psychic Vampire
Rose the Hat is possibly the most formidable of the True Knot, and is their absolute leader. Rose possesses several psionic abilities which have been amplified by being a member of the True Knot, and has additional abilities that allow her the following powers:

• True Knot Psychic Vampire: Rose the Hat has all of the advantages and disadvantages of being a True Knot member. Unlike the other members, Rose is always at full Steam, using the concealed pressure tanks that are used to store the spirits to empower herself. Rose’s attributes will never drop below where they are now due to the lack of Steam, nor does she suffer the diseases and weaknesses the other do. Please see the write-up for The True Knot for further details on abilities and limitations.
• Psionically Gifted: Rose has many psionic abilities which have been further enhanced by her conversion to a member of the True Knot. Rose can detect psionic activity at Rm (30) ability, and possesses a degree of awareness when even her mind is lightly read. Rose can actually detect Steam or psychically powered children with Un (100) ability, able to sense powerful figures up to 200+ miles with some ease. Rose cannot draw specifics, but the closer she gets to a perspective target, the easier it is for her to read it. In addition, Rose is considered to have Ex (20) protection vs. Psychic/mental effects, and can even transpose herself mentally with a target, seeing and experiencing what they can see, feel, and sense. Perhaps Rose’s most dangerous gift is the ability that she can plan suggestions into the minds of individuals with Ex (20) Psyche or less, which usually are ‘trust these people’ or ‘Don’t struggle’. Rose can also probe the mind of anyone she links with to see their past and what drives/makes them afraid. Rose reduces resistance to those she links with by 1cs, and then further reduces their resistance if she makes a Red FEAT vs. Rm (30) intensity.

Contacts:
Rose the Hat has contacts within the True Knot, and vicariously she can use the Mn (75) resources of the True Knot and several of their legitimate holdings and connections to gain whatever she wants or needs.

Limitations:
Rose the Hat has several key limitations that derive from her nature as well as a member of the True Knot. They include:

• Vulnerabilities of the True Knot – Rose shares many of the common vulnerabilities of the True Knot, and if reduced to 0 Endurance disappears/ceases to exist.
• Vengeful: Rose the Hat is extremely vengeful, and will go to great lengths to revenge herself upon those who have thwarted her efforts, embarrassed her or make her look foolish or weak, or because she simply feels that proper respect wasn’t shared. Rose will allow her need for vengeance to blind her and actually will cause a -2cs to any actions utilizing her powers As examples, Rose effectively destroyed the True Knot in her pursuit of Abra Stone, going to so such lengths as allowing a then 13 year old Stone to taunt her into agreeing to terms of a ‘final showdown’. Rose also underestimates her enemies when she is pursuing them for vengeance, often times making critical mistakes she would not normally make.
• Rose’s trademark hat – Rose’s trademark is her old black hat, which is described always sitting on an impossible jaunty angle. Rose will violently attack anyone who knocks her hat off, makes fun of it, or attempts to destroy it. In many cases, Rose’s hat is tied so intrinsically to her that the hat appears to people in visions long before Rose or the True Knot ever encounters them.
• Hideous Visage: Rose is described as almost unearthly beautiful, unless she is about to feed or wishes to intimidate her opponents, when her real appearance is revealed – Rose has no teeth, but a distended jaw which houses a single tooth that as described is yellowed, long, and curved like a walrus tusk. Rose’s appearance is so unsettling that even after she is encountered the image is tied to her, making those who deal with her rattled. As such, anyone who encounters this visage of Rose will have a hard time ever thinking of Rose the same way.

Jack Torrance from 'The Shining'

'Here's Johnny'

John Daniel Edward Torrance

F: Gd (10)/Ex (20)

A: Typ (06)

S: Typ (06)/Gd (10)

E: Gd (10)/Ex (20)

R: Gd (10)

I: Ex (20)/Gd (10)

P: Typ (06)

Health: 42/50

Karma: 36*

Resources: Typ (06)

Popularity: 0

Talents:

Jack Torrance has the following talents:
Teacher

Profession: Writer

Repair/Tinkering

Business/Finance

Powers:

Jack Torrance is a mostly normal person with a troubled background and a history of both drinking and violence. Although Jack has sobered up at the beginning of the novel, the ghosts of the Overlook and the pressures of both his past and solitude drive him slowly insane and make him susceptible to spiritual possession. Prior to becoming ‘The other’ or ‘the beast’ as outlined in the novel, Jack’s FASERIP are represented in the first column, while the time when Jack is ‘possessed’ is represented in the second column. Jack has some potential for the Shining, as stated in both in The Shining and Dr. Sleep, hence the higher intuition, which is further supported by the miniseries of the same name. Despite this, when fully possessed by the Overlook, Jack undergoes a subtle but important transformation:

Possessed:

Jack’s possession is not as obvious or as direct as one would assume. From the moment of Jack’s arrival in the Overlook Jack is slowly brought into the hotel’s sway, working to unravel his psyche and allow full possession of his facilities. When Jack is fully subsumed by the ghosts and hotel, Jack’s FASERIP change to reflect a manic desire to murder his family, especially his son Danny. In the novel, Jack is no longer referred as Jack, but rather as the monster. AS such, Jack is completely at the whim of the ghosts and has the following abilities:

• Increased FASE: Jack’s Fighting, Strength, and Endurance go up while possessed, and while not superhuman, are greater than his normal abilities. Jack is able to take several mallet blows to the head and still function, as well as recovering from being knocked unconscious more quickly. Jack’s strength increases mainly due to his near manic insanity, and while fully in the thrall of the ghosts, Jack doesn’t require an Endurance FEAT when suffering great damage (Like trying to dump the boiler during the mini-series which burns him). Jack’s Intuition actually goes down representing the possession, and while Jack gains health from his increased attributes, he can no longer gain karma unless completing his goals set by the ghosts.
• Psychic Potential: Although not directly stated, it’s implied both in the novel and the 1997 miniseries that Jack may have some small ability at the Shining, and due to his drinking and other problems he may have repressed it. In the cases where Jack is being ‘reached’ with psychic power, Jack gains a +2cs to overcome the possession he is under. In addition, Jack is able to exist at some level past death, appearing in the 1997 miniseries as a spirit to his grown son and in Dr. Sleep to help Danny against Rose the Hat. It is heavily implied also by Stephen King that Jack was more than represented in the 1980 movie version. Jack can perceive the ghosts of the Overlook without them necessarily manifesting, however this isn’t something that is as common as their purpose is to drive him further towards their goals.
• Overlook Protection: The Overlook will occasionally aid or protect Jack in unusual ways. First, as seen in all versions of The Shining, The ghosts in the hotel will manifest to provide assistance in limited ways – such as freeing Jack from the freezer. Second, should an attempt to dissuade or ‘reach’ Jack be attempted, first Jack will make an appropriate Intuition/Psyche FEAT, and if he fails, the Overlook will then make a FEAT for Jack. Please see my write-up from several years ago on The Overlook for details

 Contacts:

Due to Jack’s previous history and drinking he has few remaining contacts. Along with the scandal that Jack had while teaching in college, Jack’s professional career is mostly destroyed.

Limitations:

Jack’s Limitations range from his personal limitations to the limitations as being the earthly force for the ghosts of the Overlook:

• Alcoholic: Jack is a recovering alcoholic; whose past is violent and well-known to the authorities. Due to his drinking Jack accidentally broke his son’s arm as well as engaged in an affair with a student which ended his academic career. As such, Jack’s recovery is tenuous at best, and one of the things used by the ghosts of the overlook to drive him further towards destruction.
• Karma Use: Jack cannot gain Karma through any normal activity while at the Overlook, and can only gain Karma while under the sway of the ghosts and completing their goals. Jack can spend from the Overlook’s karma pool while ‘The Monster’, as effectively Jack is just a part of the hotel at that point. Jack cannot spend Karma for kill results.
• Insanity: Jack is considered ‘insane’ while possessed and has little memory of his activities early on when issues happen.
• Dark Secrets: Jack is rife with dark secrets, ranging from accidentally hurting Danny to having an illicit affair with a student.

Notes:

This is a combination of all the current representations of Jack Torrance in The Shining. I drew a lot more from the novel than the Kubrick movie as for characterization, and added the 1997 miniseries aspects that were green-lit by King. I wanted to reflect the Jack Torrance who was the more complete version as presented by all three initial appearances.

One thing I wanted to make sure to capture was that Jack Torrance was in fact something else when he was possessed. I think that as King stressed this in the novel and in the 1997 miniseries, I felt that it was important to differentiate the FASERIP qualities. I also think that adding the karma and resistance from the Overlook was important.

Daniel 'Doc' Torrance from 'The Shining'

Daniel Torrance
Redrum, Redrum

F: Gd (10)
A: Gd (10)
S: Typ (6)
E: Gd (10)
R: Gd (10)
I: Rm (30)
P: Am (50)

Health: 36
Karma: 90
Popularity: 0
Resources: Typ (6)

Talents:
Psionic Combat*
Occult Lore*

Powers:
Psionic Prodigy: Daniel Torrance is a powerful psionic, capable of feats not normally seen. Daniel's abilities include:

• Telepathy: Ex (20)
• Astral Perception: Rm (30)
• Empathy: Rm (30)
• Postcognition: Rm (30)
• Incarnation Awareness: Daniel Torrance has the unique ability to communicate with himself in the past, and as such, appears as a manifested vision only younger Danny is aware of.
• Astral Project: Rm (30)
• Dream Travel: Danny can travel into his own dreams and into others (as seen in the novel) with Rm (30) ability
• Telekinesis: Danny can manifest his emotions in telekinetic force with Ex (20) ability
• Psionic Manifestation: Danny can create objects and give force to psionic manifestations with Am (50), such as making hedge creatures come to live, give form and substance to the dead, and create force to illusions.
• Precognition*: Daniel has In (40) precognitive abilities, some from conversations with his future self, others through dreams.
• Postcognition - the 'Shining': Danny can perceive the past and items with history with In (40) ability. Danny does not necessarily need to touch an item to gain said powers.
• Total Memory: Daniel has some degree of perfect recall with Gd (10) ability

Contacts:
Richard Halloran: Family Friend, fellow psionic, and mentor.


Limitations:
Age: Daniel's powers are represented here as a young adult. As a child, Daniel is considered not to have access to most of these powers, and is also considered to have the 'uncontrollable' aspect.

Daniel 'Doc' Torrance from 'Dr. Sleep'

Daniel 'Doc' Torrance'

 


"You still owe a debt. Pay it."

F:  Ex (20)

A: Gd (10)

S: Typ (06)

E: Rm (30)

R: Gd (10)

I:  Ex (20)

P: Am (50)

Health: 66

Karma: 80

Resources: Typ (06)

Popularity: 0*

Talents:

Medicine*

Psionic Combat

Mystic Lore: Ghosts/Shining*

Powers:

Psionic Prodigy:

Much older than last encountered, Daniel Torrance regains his ability to Shine during Dr. Sleep and maintains a great deal of his abilities and powers when last seen in The Shining. Daniel Torrance is considered to have a great deal of psionic abilities varying ability:

• Telepathy: Ex(20) ability to read thoughts and intentions. When attempting to do so with another psychic or psionic, Daniel’s ability is considered to be Rm (30) and decreases the target’s resistance (If they choose to resist) by -1cs.  
• Astral Perception: Daniel still has the ability to perceive astral presences with Rm (30) ability, and can see or sense ghosts with In (40) ability.
• Empathy: Daniel still has Empathic feelings with Ex (20) ability, his years of drinking and abuse have dulled his abilities somewhat and is distrustful of those impulses at times. Daniel has developed a power stunt which allows him to alleviate the suffer of terminal patients in the hospice he is working for at the time of death, allowing them to transition without pain. When working as ‘Doctor Sleep’, Daniel’s Empathy actually functions higher than his childhood levels, at In (40) ability.
• Postcognition*: Daniel’s ability to read objects and people has increased once he is no longer drinking to In (40) ability, being able to perceive events in order and in greater detail since growing up.
• Incarnation Awareness*: Daniel’s alter-ego Tony is able to act independently and ‘lead’ Daniel to different things once Daniel has given up drinking. Daniel and Tony also can manifest to relatives and others, as he did with Abra Stone.   
• Spirit Storage: After the events of The Shining, Daniel learned from his childhood mentor Dick Halloran to ‘Trap’ the spirits of the Overlook which were haunting him within his own mental consciousness with Am (50) abilities, and is able to maintain ‘lockboxes’ of those spirits for a near indefinite period of time. This spirit storage is used only to capture those spirits which attack Daniel or that allow him to. The only occasion that Daniel suffered while containing spirits was when he absorbed the spirit of a woman who was dying of cancer, which he too began to suffer until he released it.
• Precognition*: Daniel has flashes or ‘dreams’ of the future with In (40) ability. Daniel has only partial control over these moments, and cannot direct them or make sense of their meanings initially.
• Communicate w/ Dead: Daniel has reached out to speak with the dead on numerous occasions, such as summoning the spirit of his dead mentor Dick Halloran, and does so with In (40) ability and range. Daniel also can be the unwilling recipient of spiritual visits and must make an opposed Psyche FEAT at -2cs. Most of the time, the dead spirits act to warn or protect Daniel.
• Power Gestalt: Daniel and his niece Abra Stone can join their respective shines together to operate as an apparent single psychic entity while maintaining their different personas. The power gestalt allows Abra to operate her shining through Daniel with Un (100) ability and range, capable of Abra to remain on the East Coast while Daniel in Colorado undetected by psionic detection. In addition, Abra and Daniel share a psychic link which allows them to see and sense the other’s perceptions, memories, location, and even experiences as well as their powers.
• Psionic Manifestation*: Daniel rarely has problems with this ability anymore, but still can create objects and substance to his imagination or items with Am (50) ability. Daniel also probably the reason that the deceased spirit of his father Jack was able to manifest physically when Daniel needed his help the most.
• Death Sense: Daniel is able to perceive through the actions of Azzie, the cat that lives at the hospice where Daniel lives/works which patient is about to die. Azzie actually perceives the soon to be deceased, and Daniel (with most of the staff) understand the actions of the cat. Daniel is able to also determine something he calls ‘The red mist’ when a person dies, and can ease the burden of death around a patient (In conjunction with his empathy).

Contacts:

Dan has several contacts within his new life after he stopped drinking that have all been present at his psychic events or helped him in some way with the issue of the True Knot, such as Dr. John Dalton, Billy Freeman, and others in the township of Fraiser, New Hampshire. Daniel also can consider his niece Abra Stone a contact, and quite a number of dead people such as his father and Dick Halloran that would return to help him.

Limitations:

Daniel has developed several limitations stemming from both his shining ability and the events after the Overlook experience.

• Alcoholic: Daniel is a recovering alcoholic, being finally able to get sober and staying sober for fifteen years. Daniel’s alcoholism was severe and he was incredible violent during this time, mirroring his own father’s alcoholism. Daniel’s alcoholism also inhibits his shining abilities, ultimately suppressing them completely at his worst point. It’s only with sobriety that Daniel’s abilities return. If Daniel returns to drinking, his shining and psionic abilities drop -1cs every week. Daniel’s abilities return when he returns to sobriety and maintains it.
• Haunted: Figuratively and literally, Daniel is haunted by the experiences and ghosts of the Overlook hotel, who sought him out after the hotel’s destruction, forcing Daniel to ‘lockbox’ the spirits in his own being. Daniel’s experiences can affect him severely, causing him -2cs to his Psyche after such encounters.
• Dependent: Daniel is overprotective of his niece Abra, and will go to great lengths to help her (Such as uncovering a buried body, facing off against the True Knot not once by twice, and working to protect Abra from dangerous forces). Daniel will place Abra’s safety above his own, and would violate the law if necessary to help her.  
• Enemy: The Overlook: Daniel is considered an enemy of the Overlook’s ghosts (See haunted), and they will stop at nothing to find him.
• Enemy: The True Knot: If any of the True Knot survived, they would not doubt be angry with Daniel and would consider him an enemy.
• Responsibility: Since entering sobriety, Daniel feels his work as ‘Doctor Sleep’ and a hospice nurse to be a responsibility he takes very seriously and feels grateful for. Daniel takes his patient’s health and respect to be a serious responsibility, and will do whatever he can to help them.
• Regretful: Daniel is regretful for the times that he spent drunk, including the incident of his stealing money from a woman with a young song. Such regrets drive Daniel and weigh heavily upon him.